Environment

Empty Carpool Lane

Climate Challenge: Not Enough EVs or Too Many SUVs?

Both are problems, but globally, sports utility vehicles sales are proliferating far faster than cars, be they electric or petrol-powered, posing a major challenge for governments committed to reducing greenhouse gas emissions.

March 5, 2018 - The New York Times - Climate

Puerto Rico

Study: Hurricane Maria Killed for Months After Hitting Puerto Rico

According to new research, the tragic impact of Hurricane Maria lingered for months after the storm hit Puerto Rico on September 20, 2017, and at far greater magnitude than the federal government has acknowledged.

March 5, 2018 - Chicago Tribune

Harvey Floods Houston

After Harvey, Texas Tries State-Run Disaster Relief, With Mixed Results

The scale of the housing recovery effort means some jobs normally handles by FEMA have fallen to the Texas General Land Office.

March 3, 2018 - Texas Tribune

Drinking Water

Happy Hour: A Playlist of Songs About Water

Here's a concept we can get behind.

March 2, 2018 - The Fresno Bee

San Luis Obispo County

California's Coastal Marshes Face Extinction By 2110

Climate change and coastal development are combining to stamp out important ecological landscapes.

March 2, 2018 - KPCC

Diesel Gas

German Cities to Breathe Easier After Court Ruling on Diesel Car Bans

Unlike banning sales of new internal combustion vehicles at a future date, the German court ruling applies to the operation of older, diesel-powered cars in the country's most polluted cities. It's up to the cities, though, to enact the bans.

March 2, 2018 - The New York Times

Brick Apartments

Affordable Housing Stock and Earthquake Risk

The city of Seattle needs more affordable housing, like most cities. It also has almost 2,000 existing affordable units at "high risk" in the event of an earthquake.

February 27, 2018 - Crosscut

Renewable Energy

How We Can Better Integrate the Energy Industry into Eco-Friendly Planning

There are plenty of opportunities to green the world's energy production and consumption infrastructure, but it will take good planning.

February 27, 2018 - Kayla Matthews

Brussels Train Station

Another City to Offer Free Transit on Bad Air Days

Brussels is the latest city to provide incentives for commuters willing to take transit in the name of air quality.

February 26, 2018 - The Guardian

Evacuation

The Great Climate Change Migration

Climate change is already causing displacement on a massive scale.

February 26, 2018 - Rolling Stone

Alaska

The Most Toxic Place in the United States

The title for most toxic location in the United States goes to a remote, and perhaps surprising location.

February 25, 2018 - National Geographic

Economic Impacts of Climate Change

Mapping Climate Change's Economic Impacts in the United States

A recent study from the Government Accountability Office (GAO) predicts some of the economic impacts of climate change.

February 24, 2018 - Governing

San Francisco Street

Is CEQA the Main Impediment to Housing Construction in California?

According to a new study by UC Berkeley and Columbia University, local land use processes, specifically the approval process, rather than the California Environmental Quality Act, is the main impediment to housing production in California.

February 24, 2018 - Los Angeles Times

Pretty City. Don't swim after storm.

U.S. EPA's Enforcement Drops to Unprecedented Low

Polluters are going unpunished.

February 23, 2018 - Vox

Traffic

EPA Releases Draft Greenhouse Gas Inventory, 1990 to 2016

The inventory, a requirement from a 1992 U.N. treaty, shows emissions from most sectors are either decreasing or holding steady. The major exception: transportation.

February 21, 2018 - Climatewire

Trees and People

Report Details the Long-Term Financial Benefits of Green Design

This report estimates that U.S. cities could save half a trillion dollars by investing in "smart surface technologies." The study takes into account obvious factors like energy use and less intuitive ones like tourism revenues.

February 20, 2018 - Next City

oil spill

Oil Spill Liability Trust Fund Reenacted

Unlike Trump's suggested quarter-per-gallon gas tax, this 9-cents-per-barrel tax is real. Like the gas tax, it goes to a trust fund, to respond to oil spills rather than build and maintains roads. While small, it brings in $500 million annually.

February 19, 2018 - Washington Examiner

Arch Rock Beach

The Vast Economic Footprint of the Outdoor Recreation Industry

The outdoor recreation industry grew faster in 2016 than the rest of the U.S. economy.

February 18, 2018 - Earther

Chevy Bolt

Where's the Interest in Electric Vehicles?

Policymakers, auto manufacturers, and especially advocates are very engaged in transitioning from fossil fuel-powered vehicles to electric vehicles. The problem is that interest isn't shared by the general public, according to research by UC Davis.

February 17, 2018 - UC Davis Institute of Transportation Studies

Snow

Montana Ski Resorts to Turn Wastewater into Snow

Using treated wastewater for snowmaking would have dual benefits for Big Sky, Montana.

February 17, 2018 - Water Deeply

Urban Design for Planners 1: Software Tools

This six-course series explores essential urban design concepts using open source software and equips planners with the tools they need to participate fully in the urban design process.

Planning for Universal Design

Learn the tools for implementing Universal Design in planning regulations.

Top Books

An annual review of books related to planning.

Top Schools

The definitive ranking of graduate planning programs.

100 Most Influential Urbanists

The who's who of urbanism, according to Planetizen readers.

Urban Planning Creators You Should Know

A short list of voices on social, video, and podcasting platforms.